International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS)
https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.4.20
Framing of media coverage of the Palestinian -
Israeli conflict in CNN and FoxNews
Suzan Alkalliny
Department of Media, Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract— Use of media, especially television, is an
important point in the history of important events and
recent wars. This type of media coverage of events and
wars transfers the audience to the heart of the event and
has a direct impact on public opinion internationally. For
example, much criticism has been directed at the American
media regarding coverage of the Israeli aggression on
Gaza. Many demonstrations against the two largest
networks in the United States, CNN and FOXNEWS, have
also taken place in New York City to protest against the
biased media coverage of the Palestinians and the Israeli
aggression against Gaza.This paper contains various news
frameworks used in media coverage of events and its result
and impact on different audiences. In conclusion, the study
addressing the mentioned conflict declared that the
coverage was biased and non- objective, relying heavily on
Israeli sources in comparison to Palestinian sources.
Keywords— media coverage, CNN, FoxNews, Palestinian
–Israeli.
I. INTRODUCTION
The use of the media, especially television, is an important
point in the history of important events and modern wars
even the Second Gulf War was named by“Air war” because
CNN broadcasted the events of the war on air directly to the
homes of the viewers, and this kind of media coverage of
events and wars to transfer the viewer to the heart of the
event and leads to a direct impact on public opinion both
internally and externally.
The two parties of the conflict, which is being televised, are
trying to impose their views and influence on the public
opinion through the framework of media coverage, which is
transmitted within news framework. At the beginning of the
Israeli aggression, which began on 8 July 2014 and lasted
51 days, killing 2322 Palestinians and injuring thousands,
the Arab and foreign media have been competing to cover
the events and their successive developments. The major
news networks have also sent their delegates and
correspondents to the Gaza Strip for the rapid broadcast of
the events of the conflict.
www.ijels.com
Vol-2, Issue-4, July – Aug, 2017
ISSN: 2456-7620
Much of the criticism has been directed at the American
media regarding the coverage of the Israeli aggression on
Gaza. Many demonstrations against the two largest
American networks in the United States of America, CNN
and FOX News in New York, have also been held in protest
against the biased media coverage of the Palestinians.
The demonstrators launched a number of cheers
condemning the bias of the media coverage of the American
networks CNN and FOX News. This study seeks to monitor
the media coverage of the two networks and the news
coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza 2014 and the
events of 2017 in the context of the theory of news
frameworks.
Theory of media frameworks as an input to the study:
This study uses the theory of news frameworks: a
theoretical framework for the study according to the nature
of the framework, which gives meaning to the news and is
divided into:
Episodic Frame
It focuses on the event being covered without regard to the
context associated with the event or its background. This
framework depicts general issues in the form of individual
factual situations.
Thematic Frame
This framework addresses the issues raised simply and
general and takes into account the context and the political,
economic and social conditions as well as international
variables, which means that the news appears within the
policy of the state to which the media belongs.
This study will draw on frameworks according to issues and
events, which in turn are divided into:
1- Strategic Frameworks
This framework focuses on events in their strategic
context affecting the national security of the state and
fits with political and military events.
2- Conflict Frameworks
It is the most widely used and used to cover news
issues as there are frameworks that ` contain a great
deal of conflict such as events (terrorism - wars -
armed conflict)
Page | 161
International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS)
https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.4.20
Frameworks of conflict (corruption issues - military
maneuvers) and finally frameworks based on limited
conflict such as human competition - environmental
issues.
3- Liability frameworks
It links the responsibility of an individual or entity to
the issue at hand
4- Economic Results Frameworks
They address the issue in the context of the reflection
of its results on society, groups and individuals.
5- Framework of humanitarian meetings
It adds a human or emotional dimension to the event
or issue by using emotional words and dramatic
treatment of the event.
Although there are many classifications of frames, frames
are the way in which the media describe the issue and the
event through words, terms, sentences, phrases and images
used to guide the recipient to draw conclusions and
judgments about the issue or event.
This study employs the theory of media frameworks in
monitoring and analyzing the frameworks of dealing with
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the American
networks CNN and FOX NEWS. This study is concerned
with answering the following question:
"What are the media treatment frameworks for the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza 2014 and in the events
of Al-Aqsa 2017?
The analysis was conducted on the CNN and FOX News
channels for a period of (50 days) of 2014, the period of the
Israeli aggression on Gaza and within two weeks of July
2017 is the period of the events of Al-Aqsa.
The results of the study concluded that:
- The media coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in
Gaza in 2014 varied between CNN and FOX News.
CNN appeared more sympathetic to Israel, focusing on
coverage of rockets fired from Gaza and completely
ignoring the torrent of Israeli rockets destroyed hundreds of
Palestinian sites.
The study also reported in the news reports between the
military capability of the Israeli army and the ability of the
Palestinian resistance.
The coverage appeared biased and non-objective as it relied
heavily on Israeli sources compared to Palestinian sources
during the first week of events as 54 Israeli figures appeared
in contrastof 25 Palestinian figures from Hamas or the PLO.
CNN also suspended Diana Magadi, after her tweet on
Twitter in which she described the Israelis who danced and
cheering on Taba on the border between Gaza and the
occupied territories as "scum".
www.ijels.com
Vol-2, Issue-4, July – Aug, 2017
ISSN: 2456-7620
While Israeli figures in the FOX News channel were 62
figures versus 7 Palestinian figures (Figs. 1 and 2).
- Regarding FOX News, it showed a moral support in its
media coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza for Israel
and showed an anti-Arab stance. The media coverage of
FOX News showed full support for Israel. The most
important manifestations of bias were statements made by
US Secretary of State John Kerry on the channel, in which
the Israeli soldiers were killed and Israel's right to defend
itself against Gaza rockets was confirmed. The channel also
displayed a series of pictures of destroyed buildings in Gaza
being in Israel, which is a deception to the viewers.
- CNN and FOX News have focused their coverage of the
events of the Gaza conflict in 2014 on highlighting the
conflict as a religious ethnic conflict rather than a conflict
on land. The conflict was portrayed as a conflict between
the militant Islamic group Hamas and Israel. The channel
always uses the term "Militant Extremist Muslim ".
- The study showed that CNN and FOX News handled the
events of Gaza 2014 as negative and biased in most of
them. CNN relied on the frameworks of conflict and
responsibility while FOX News relied on the frameworks of
conflict and the economic consequences while the two
channels completely diverged from the humanitarian and
moral frameworks in the conflict in general and dominated
the negative coverage on the media treatment of the events
of Gaza in the channels of the study. (Figs. 3 and 4)
- The biased negative coverage of the events of the year
2017 continued towards the Palestiniansas the results of the
study revealed that FOX News channel described the
Palestinians as terrorists and stressed that the Palestinian
side is the main reason for Al-Aqsa events and did not refer
to the Israeli intransigence to put electronic gates and metal
detectors to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque in any of the news. The
conflict between Muslims and the Jews rather than the
conflict between Israel and Palestine has transformed the
conflict from political to religious.
- The use of religious terms in both channels increased in an
attempt to frame the event in a religious rather than political
context (Figs. 5 and 6).
- The results of the analysis revealed that the two channels
were highly biased towards the Israeli side in the media
coverage of the event.
- The impact of media coverage on American interests with
Israel and political relations was noticed. FOX News
focused on the economic repercussions of Al-Aqsa events,
as well as CNN, which did not express any humanitarian
feelings in this conflict. The media coverage of the two
channels did not refer to any of the images transmitted to
Page | 162
International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS)
https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.4.20
Israeli soldiers which killed five Palestinians and injured
hundreds in a week of Palestinian protests on the status of
metal detectors at the entrances of Al-Aqsa Mosque in
occupied East Jerusalem and the erection of electronic
gates.
In the coverage of the two channels, the use of the terms of
the police for Israelis and attackers for Palestinians is noted.
- The media coverage of FOX News focused on Israeli
military and security losses during the protests and clearly
focused on showing Israeli military and security strength.
- While CNN was keen to justify Israel's establishment of e-
gates at the entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Israel was
portrayed as a victim while ignoring Palestinian casualties
and presenting Israeli views while ignoring Palestinian
views.
- Despite the allocation of the channels studied enough time
to cover the events of Gaza 2014 and the protests of Al-
Aqsa 2017, but CNN exceeded the amount of instant reports
from the site of the event as well as the views of Israeli
officials who appeared daily to comment frequently on
events while FOX News relied on video footage and the
news of US foreign agencies, as well as meetings with
Israeli officials. Only some of the speakers of the political
movements appeared from the Palestinians.
- The emergence of clear bias at the level of news discourse
in the use of linkage clauses, news briefs and news
prescriptions in describing Israel as the victim and defender
of the protests carried out by the Palestinian side.
- FOX News used a number of arguments and evidence to
support Israel's position while CNN used the political
discourse through Israeli officials, emphasizing the
pathways of proof that support Israel's image.
- A group of words was used to describe the Palestinian
side, including the attackers, the terrorists, the despotic
forces, and described the Israeli side as (the democratic
forces - the military force - the self-defense and survival).
- The study revealed that the two channels clearly supported
the Israeli forces against the Palestinians, both in the events
of Gaza 2014 and in the protests of Al-Aqsa 2017.
- The study showed that the two channels participated in
praising the policy of the United States of America as a
powerful factor in resolving the crisis of conflict between
Palestinians and Israelis in the events of Gaza 2014,while in
the events of the Al-Aqsa 2017 devoted large areas to visit
the envoy of US President Donald Trump to the Middle
East Jession Greenblatt to Israel in an attempt to resolve the
crisis and exaggerated the description of the role of the
United States in the establishment of peace in the Middle
East and in the rapid intervention to resolve the crisis of Al-
www.ijels.com
Vol-2, Issue-4, July – Aug, 2017
ISSN: 2456-7620
Aqsa, to cancel the security measures imposed recently in
Al-Aqsa Mosque, which led to the outbreak of the crisis of
Al-Aqsa.
- The study channels have criticized the Palestinian
resistance and its image in a negative and sometimes
cynical manner by focusing on the slogans used by the
Palestinians and accusing them of ignorance and illiteracy.
- The study revealed that the treatment of the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict since the events of Gaza 2014 and ending
with the events of Al-Aqsa 2017 focused on specific
frameworks in their media coverage, namely the
frameworks of conflict - responsibility - economic
consequences, which was prominent in the events of Gaza
2014, while the religious framework was added in the crisis
of Al-Aqsa2017 so that it was used more than once
(Muslims - Jews) and not Palestinians and Israelis. It was
also noted that the media was completely devoid of
humanitarian and moral frameworks that could change
sympathy with the Palestinians and Human rights were not
mentioned in any way.
- One of the most important observations in the framework
of the responsibility used by CNN and has attributed by
CNN is that the causes of the events is the Palestinians as
they are the main reason for the start of the conflict in Gaza
2014 and in the protests of Al-Aqsa 2017 as a result of
terrorist acts.
Conclusion
- The study found that CNN and FOX News are very biased
towards the Israeli side in the framework of the media
coverage, in the treatment of events, in the reliable sources,
in the selection of pictures and videos, and in the
justification presented to the Israeli side.
- The news coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is
influenced by the political context of the state to which the
channels belong and is also influenced by political interests
between the United States and Israel.
- The media treatment of CNN and FOX NEWS channels
has been linked to the principle of supporting the strategic
interests of the United States of America.
- CNN and FOX NEWS channels manipulated the narrative
structure of media treatment to serve American ideological
and political purposes when dealing with the events of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- The two channels have been involved in media
manipulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by shedding
light on specific aspects and events of the news issue and
the neglect of other aspects according to their political and
ideological affiliation to become a tool to support the
implementation of US foreign policy.
Page | 163
International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-2, Issue-4, July – Aug, 2017
https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.4.20 ISSN: 2456-7620
II. PROPOSALS
In the context of the foregoing, we conclude the following CNN
proposals:
- The necessity for the Arab bloc to establish an
international news channel that will broadcast in foreign
25
languages and provide adequate funding for the nature of its
work so that there is an international balance in the media Israeli figures
treatment of Arab events, which are transmitted from one 54 Palestinian figures
point of view.
- Since the news and drama are the most influential content
in the public opinion at the level of the countries of the
world, the Arab countries should start the establishment of
an Arab drama production company so that the drama is a * Sources used in the
strong supporter of Arab issues at the international level. channels of the study
- The establishment of an international news agency Fig.1: Media sources used by CNN
dedicated to the appropriate material and human resources.
It will conduct balanced news coverage at the international
level to ensure the presentation of different viewpoints FOX NEWS
REFERENCES
[1] Media coverage of the Israel –Gaza conflict (2014) 7
"Wikipedia available on
Israeli figures
www.aljazeera.net/internatioal (12-7-2014)
[2] Seth Ashle (2015) "making the case for war: a 62 Palestinian figures
comparative analysis of CNN and BBC coverage of
Colin Powell's presentation to the united nation
security council " (base state university department of
communication. Fig.1: Media sources used in FOX News
[3] Rebert M, Entman (1993) framing toward clarification
of fractured paradigm " in journal of communication, * Frames used in the media treatment of the
vol. 43 no, 4 1993. channelsof the study in 2014
[4] Dietram, Ascheufele& David twesbury (2007)"
framing agenda setting and priming the evolution of
Conflict
three media effects model " journal of communication
Framework
vol57 , no 1 , 2007 .
[5] Esther lopatin& others (2017) "a clash of civilization
prism in German media? Documenting a shift from
political to religious framing of the Israel – Palestinian Frames used
conflict interdisciplinary center herzlia (IDC) Israel by CNN
2017.
[6] Gary R Edgerton (2016) " television "America " article
, oxford research encyclopedias ,
Responsibi
(www.americanhistory,oxford.com) lity
Framewor
[7] Matthew T.Haman (2008) "the media technology and k

united states foreign policy iare examination of the

Fig.3: Frames used in the media of CNN in 2014
CNN effect, a journal of international affairs, 2008.
[8] Erin kribide (2015) the Middle East deserves more
thoughtful coverage frame major vs. media,
www.quz.com revolutionizing – mid – east coverage.

www.ijels.com Page | 164

International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-2, Issue-4, July – Aug, 2017
https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.4.20 ISSN: 2456-7620

Fig.4: Frameworks used in media of FOX NEWS in 2014

Frameworks used in the media treatment of the
two channels in 2017

Religious
framework

Frames used
by CNN

Conflict
framework

Fig.5: Frames used in the media of CNN in 2017

Fig.6: Frameworks used in media of FOX NEWS in

2017

www.ijels.com Page | 165